ESNS 2026 artists land 106 festival bookings
The first results of the European Talent Exchange programme for 2026 show that artists who performed at Eurosonic Noorderslag (ESNS) 2026 have already secured 106 confirmed festival bookings across 39 partner festivals, covering 61 emerging European artists.
Artists who showcase at ESNS in Groningen automatically enter the European Talent Exchange platform, a long-running initiative supported by the European Union’s Creative Europe Programme.
Coordinated by ESNS, the programme connects emerging acts with a network of approximately 130 partner festivals across Europe and beyond, helping accelerate cross-border touring opportunities.
Early international momentum
Several artists from the ESNS 2026 showcase programme have already secured multiple festival bookings across Europe.
Irish act Florence Road has confirmed nine international appearances, including performances at Primavera Sound (Spain), Rock Werchter (Belgium), Southside Festival (Germany) and Y Not Festival (UK).
Belgium’s Dressed Like Boys has lined up five festival bookings, including Best Kept Secret (Netherlands), Immergut Festival (Germany) and Le Printemps de Bourges (France).
Other early confirmations include:
Dove Ellis (Ireland) – five bookings including Lowlands (Netherlands) and Poplar Festival (Italy)
Max Baby (France) – four bookings including Les Nuits Botanique (Belgium) and The Great Escape (UK)
Joshua Idehen (Sweden) – four bookings including End of the Road (UK), OFF Festival Katowice (Poland) and Roskilde Festival (Denmark)
Additional artists securing international festival slots include The New Eves (UK), ROYA (Denmark), Turbo Trans Turisti (Serbia), Camille Yembe (Belgium), Eileen Alister (Switzerland), Neon Lies (Croatia), Min Taka (Netherlands) and Hania Derej (Poland).
Festivals confirming ESNS artists
A number of European festivals have already confirmed ESNS 2026 artists for their upcoming editions. Early adopters include:
MENT Ljubljana (Slovenia) – 9 bookings
Rock Werchter (Belgium) – 6 bookings
Best Kept Secret (Netherlands) – 5 bookings
Primavera Sound (Spain) – 3 bookings
OpenAir St. Gallen (Switzerland) – 3 bookings
OFF Festival Katowice (Poland) – 2 bookings
Immergut Festival (Germany) – 1 booking
These early confirmations highlight the role of ESNS and the European Talent Exchange in supporting the international development of emerging European artists and helping festivals discover new talent for their line-ups.
Industry collaboration
European Talent Exchange operates through a network of around 130 partner festivals, working alongside YOUROPE, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), 31 media partners, 24 member organisations, and six associated partners, including 26 export offices.
The programme continues to serve as a key infrastructure for the European live music sector, supporting the cross-border circulation of new talent and helping artists transition from showcase stages to international festival circuits.